Debuting in 1997, One Piece garnered nationwide fame because of its lovable character and gripping storyline. That increased tenfold when the anime came out only two years later, catering to a wider variety of people.
Even now, it’s kept its place as one of the most popular and beloved manga of all time. With one of the most lovable casts of main characters, it’s no wonder that fans are so invested in their story, coming up with various interesting One Piece theories.
There have been numerous theories concerning the ending of One Piece, some outrageous and some believable. Even the author and artist of One Piece, Eichiro Oda, know about these theories and is said to be amused by them, even commenting that some come very close to what he’s planned for our favorite pirates, which is why we’ve brought you the best One Piece theory of 2023. Read along and wonder if this is how the iconic series is going to end.
Before we proceed, however, let us clarify that the theories discussed here are not the actual future of the story. Rather, these are just fan theories and possible predictions.
It’s entirely possible that none of these comes true. But while we wait for the story to progress, it’s fun to wonder about the ending. So, without further ado, let’s jump into the best One Piece theory of 2023.
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Best One Piece Theory of 2023
There is no shortage of theories about One Piece and its many mysteries. Fans have countless predictions about how the final war is going to be or who will be the first to reach Raftel and discover the treasure, One Piece.
There is also the mysterious figure, Imu Sama, who is said to be the king of the world. His connection to the strawhat makes him an intriguing character and leaves fans wondering about his real identity.
Another of One Piece’s longest-running mysteries is Joyboy and his connection to Luffy. Several characters in the story mention the legendary man and his promise to come back and make the world better.
It’s widely believed that the Will of D is also related to Joyboy, and so is Sun God Nika. After Luffy’s Gear 5, where the true power of his Devil Fruit is revealed, his connection to Sun God Nika has been prominently established. This brings him even closer to Joyboy.
Apart from these figures of the past and mysteries of the world of One Piece, there are some characters who appeared in the series and made a mark before getting sidelined in favor of newer characters.
One such character is Enel, who bewitched fans with his overpowered Devil Fruit and lost to Luffy simply because of luck. His reappearance also features in several fan theories.
Some of the best One Piece theory of this year includes the following:
The Real Identity of Imu Sama
The debut of Imu Sama in One Piece has been sensational. He sits on the throne of the world and is a figure beyond the authority of Gorosei and even the Celestial Dragons.
The huge straw hat he’s shown indicates his connection to the owners of the straw hats. As of yet, we only see four characters who’ve donned the iconic straw hat: Luffy, Shanks, Roger, and Joyboy.
Fans predict that out of these four, the true connection Imu Sama has is with Joyboy. According to this theory, in the Ancient Kingdom 900 years ago, Imu Sama and Joyboy used to be brothers and the heirs to the throne.
While Imu Sama was older and wiser, the younger and more foolish Joyboy was chosen as the new king.
This prompted Imu Sama to betray the Ancient Kingdom and ally with other nations to form an alliance against his own kingdom. This led to a massive war that ultimately destroyed the Ancient Kingdom and made the World Government the rulers of the world.
Will Luffy Meet Joyboy?
A common trope in almost every massive franchise is time travel, and fans believe that One Piece will also use this same trope. In reality, One Piece has already shown time travel in the storyline, with Toki using her Devil Fruit to send Momo and some of Akazaya Nine 20 years into the future. But it was also mentioned that her power only works forward, so she can go into the future but cannot return to the past.
But what if one could really return to the past? Bonney’s unnamed Devil Fruit can decrease someone’s age which is a manipulation of time. So, if somehow her power could be manifested outside, probably using Kuma’s Nikyu Nikyu no Mi, one could most possibly travel back in time.
One of the best One Piece theories is that this is how Luffy will go back 900 years in the past and will meet a silly boy who is strikingly similar to him in personality. This boy is Joyboy, who has a wild and carefree personality and is nicknamed “Monkey” by everyone. Luffy’s meeting with Joyboy would be one of the biggest moments in the series.
The Origin of Devil Fruit
Ever since the beginning of the story, where we learn of Luffy’s stretching power and his Gomu Gomu no Mi, fans have wondered about the Devil Fruit. In the first half of One Piece, Devil Fruits are the primary power system, and we see numerous characters with a wide variety of Devil Fruit powers.
We also learn of the three types of Devil Fruits: Paramecia, Logia, and Zoan. But the origin of Devil Fruits has never been revealed. However, in the latest arc of One Piece: the Egghead Arc, Vegapunk reveals that Devil Fruits are brought into existence by the collective will of people.
This is extremely intriguing but still doesn’t clear the mist completely. But according to the theory fans have concocted, Devil Fruits’ creation is connected to Haki. Haki also works on the will of a person, turning willpower into an ability.
Devil Fruits are the first eruption of Haki in the world. Fans also think that originally there were only four Devil Fruits, all of them as we know today as Mythical Zoan.
These four Fruits give the user the abilities of the four gods mentioned in Skypiea: the God of Earth, the God of Rain, the God of Sky, and the God of Sun. Luffy’s Devil Fruit, the Hito Hito no Mi; Model: Nika, is one of these first four Devil Fruits.
That means there are still the other three Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits somewhere in the world, and the power of their users can rival Luffy’s own.
Will Enel Arrive in the End?
Now in a completely different direction, let’s talk about Enel and whether he’ll be back in the main storyline again. Manga fans already know that Enel is well and thriving, making his position on the Moon.
His defeat at the hands of Luffy is unsatisfying at this point of the story, where it’s evident that Enel’s Devil Fruit had a lot of potentials to give some of the strongest characters in the series a run for their money.
So, fans are eagerly waiting for his return now that we are in the Final Saga of One Piece. Fan theories say that Enel will be back before the Final War starts and the Straw Hat Pirates find the One Piece.
Another prediction is that Enel will form an alliance with Urouge, and they will serve as antagonists to Luffy and his crew. With the reappearance of Lucci and Kaku, we know that past characters have a huge possibility of coming back in the story, maybe as antagonists or allies. Let’s see which category Enel falls into.
Final Battle
The Final Battle will be the ultimate climactic war of One Piece and will decide the fate of the world. Oda has already teased that the Final Battle will be the greatest battle ever in One Piece, and even the iconic Marineford War will pale in comparison to it. This made fans worldwide rejoice in excitement as the greatest pirate story ever drew to its conclusion.
There are plenty of fan theories about the Final War, but we’ll be talking about only the best of them. The theories suggest that the Final War will be a three-way war between the Straw Hat Grand Fleet, the World Government, and the Blackbeard Pirates.
As of then, Luffy will be reunited with Shanks and will probably gather more allies along his way, as he did with the Vegapunks.
It’s also believed that Luffy will also meet his father, and with his connection to them, through Sabo, Dragon, and Ivankov, the Revolutionary Army is sure to be an ally to the Straw Hats. There are also the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates, led by Marco, who will help the Straw Hats, and so will Yamato and the warriors of Wano.
For the World Government they have plenty of power to use in the war, including their Admirals and Vice-admirals, along with the Gorosei and warriors from the numerous nations under them. The Giants will most possibly be in favor of the Straw Hats, thanks to Ussop. But nothing can be for certain.
The article about the best One Piece theory of 2023 ends here. The fan theories are wild, but some of them have a real possibility to them. Oda has already joked that he has multiple endings ready for One Piece, and if one of the fan theories were to come true, he’d change his ending. That just makes things more fun for fans. Let’s see what the iconic mangaka brings in the Final Saga of this beloved series.
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Anamika loves words and stories and putting them to pages. She also loves anime, manga, books, movies and everything fantasy. She has been a fan of anime since childhood and her admiration for it only grew with years. Her passion for writing is even more elevated by writing about the things she loves.
